Historic Collinsville Pioneer Settlement, a 40-acre living-history farm in rural Montgomery County, Tennessee, will open to the public for its 2020 season on Saturday, June 6. The settlement will be open Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and Sundays 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. through October.
“The expansive, open-air property at Collinsville gives visitors plenty of space to spread out and maintain a safe social distance,” said Visit Clarksville Board of Directors Chairman Kyle Luther. “As safe regional travel begins to happen again, we want people to feel confident that Collinsville is a good option for a day trip – especially for families with children where learning can be part of the experience.”
All tours at Historic Collinsville are self-guided via an illustrated map, and individual buildings (except for the Visitor Center) are protected with low gates in the doorways so there’s no opportunity for touching furnishings.
Manager Linda Ebel says that many groups helped with improvements since Collinsville’s winter closing last October, from scouts to homeschoolers to neighbors. “We have a lot that is new for the public to see, learn and experience this year."
One of the most significant changes is the addition of a Teacher’s Residence, located across from the Wildwood Church/Schoolhouse. Ebel planned this home to represent the late 1800s, expanding the timeline of the pioneer settlement’s era which previously went through the 1860s.
“We want to be as authentic as possible to the respective timeframe with every structure and accessory on the property,” she said. “A teacher would have likely lived very near the school, so we took this opportunity to broaden our covered time period into the later 19th Century.”
Also new is the conversion of a chicken coop into a Cobbler’s Shop and new signage.
Visitors are also encouraged to bring a picnic and take advantage of the tables throughout the property or at the open-air pavilion.
The pioneer settlement opened in 1974 to give children a “hands-on” experience, outside of the classroom, about life during the span from the 1830s through the turn of the century. It has been open to the public since 1997, recreating the past with restored historical structures, each filled with authentic period furnishings that show a glimpse of life before and after the Civil War.
Once at Collinsville, guests can stroll through a re-creation of the past from the earliest “first home” to the expansive Dogtrot House. During special events, costumed docents offer to perform and explain their day-to-day tasks and offer activities for guests. Other buildings on the settlement include a tobacco-drying house, smokehouse, church, wildlife center, and schoolhouse.
Regular admission is free for ages six and under and $7 for ages seven and up. Special Event admission varies. The property is open other days and times for groups of six or more for reservations, rentals, weddings, or special events.
“There’s just so much excitement about what’s happening at the property,” said Ebel. “And it’s so encouraging to see. We have ideas and projects that will keep us introducing new elements and programming for years, as long as we have adequate funding.”
For more information about Historic Collinsville, upcoming events, or how to sponsor an event, please visit www.historiccollinsville.com, follow them on Facebook, or contact Linda Ebel by phone or email at 931-245-4344 or linda@visitclarksvilletn.com
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